The Kansas City Royals have made trade inquires on a trio of players, including Oakland Athletics' infielder Ben Zobrist and Cincinnati Reds' pitchers Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake, Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports.
Due to the All-Star Game in Cincinnati, the Reds have been reluctant to make a move on dealing some of their top trade targets and likely will not move Cueto, Leake, and others until after the festivities in early July.
The Royals have obvious needs in the rotation, with Yordano Ventura, Jason Vargas, and Danny Duffy all on the 15-day disabled list, and with Jeremy Guthrie pitching to a 5.55 ERA. The Royals are resorted to using Joe Blanton on the mound as a starter. Leake, or even Cueto, would make the Royals that much better.
Zobrist, on the other hand, seems available to any team that is willing to pay the price. Many teams have shown interest in the utility man, as he can play all around the diamond, fitting needs for many different organizations. For Kansas City, he would be an upgrade at second base, where Omar Infante is currently situated and hitting a dismal .230/.237/.311.
On the season, Zobrist is hitting .243/.325/.434/.758 in 154 plate appearances. Cueto is pitching to a 4-4 record with a 2.98 ERA in 90.2 innings, but is dealing with an elbow injury and has health issues overall. And Leake is pitching to a 4-4 record with a 4.01 ERA in 89.2 innings this season.
--Devan Fink
Due to the All-Star Game in Cincinnati, the Reds have been reluctant to make a move on dealing some of their top trade targets and likely will not move Cueto, Leake, and others until after the festivities in early July.
The Royals have obvious needs in the rotation, with Yordano Ventura, Jason Vargas, and Danny Duffy all on the 15-day disabled list, and with Jeremy Guthrie pitching to a 5.55 ERA. The Royals are resorted to using Joe Blanton on the mound as a starter. Leake, or even Cueto, would make the Royals that much better.
Zobrist, on the other hand, seems available to any team that is willing to pay the price. Many teams have shown interest in the utility man, as he can play all around the diamond, fitting needs for many different organizations. For Kansas City, he would be an upgrade at second base, where Omar Infante is currently situated and hitting a dismal .230/.237/.311.
On the season, Zobrist is hitting .243/.325/.434/.758 in 154 plate appearances. Cueto is pitching to a 4-4 record with a 2.98 ERA in 90.2 innings, but is dealing with an elbow injury and has health issues overall. And Leake is pitching to a 4-4 record with a 4.01 ERA in 89.2 innings this season.
--Devan Fink
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